Feel like your smart home assistant needs a bit of an upgrade? Kurt "The CyberGuy" Knutsson shares steps on how you can change your Amazon Alexa's name and accent. Ever felt that your smart home assistant's voice doesn't quite match your aesthetic or mood? Well, Alexa is lending an ear to your preferences. There's a charm in personalizing every tiny detail of our gadgets, and Amazon's Alexa isn't one to be left behind.

Agreed, the headline is slightly presumptuous, in light of the third wave looming large and governments' globally gearing up for the same. That said, with vaccination drives going on in full swing, mask-mandates being lifted, travels resuming, and offices reopening, people are actually heaving a sigh of relief – a virus of good feeling is rippling across the cities. But, please don't take my word for it! America's leading retail brands have gone on to report that their foot traffic has rebounded earlier than expected, so much so that the numbers might exceed their 2019 sales performance. The point is consumer behavior is expected to upend big-time post-pandemic, partly because some customers might want to pursue their pre-pandemic routines, and mostly because some customers might wish to continue with new customer engagement models launched during the pandemic.

With Smart Home technology taking off and smart home assistants (like Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Siri) becoming more prevalent in homes the start of a new home technology revolution is underway. Homeowners can monitor and control the house heating and cooling systems, security systems, door locks, garage doors and more all from where ever they have access to internet on their smartphone. Artificial intelligence (AI) will add to that ability by allowing decisions about the home to be made without the need of direct input from the homeowner. For instance a trusted dog walker walks up to the front door during their scheduled time to take Fido out for a walk. The dog walker's face is seen via camera which an artificial intelligence assistant recognizes and knows they are there during the correct time and allows the door to be unlocked so Fido can enjoy some outdoor time while the homeowner is away.

With Smart Home technology taking off and smart home assistants (like Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Siri) becoming more prevalent in homes the start of a new home technology revolution is underway. Homeowners can monitor and control the house heating and cooling systems, security systems, door locks, garage doors and more all from where ever they have access to internet on their smartphone. Artificial intelligence (AI) will add to that ability by allowing decisions about the home to be made without the need of direct input from the homeowner. For instance a trusted dog walker walks up to the front door during their scheduled time to take Fido out for a walk. The dog walker's face is seen via camera which an artificial intelligence assistant recognizes and knows they are there during the correct time and allows the door to be unlocked so Fido can enjoy some outdoor time while the homeowner is away.

We've quickly come to accept that brands know as much about us as we know about ourselves. Facebook serves you ads for cat food after you talk about getting a cat. Target knows you're pregnant before you tell your friends and family. Even Instagram knows about your shameful predilection for Hallmark Christmas movies. So it stands to reason that fewer pics of you with your significant other on Instagram could signal to apps and brands that your relationship may be coming to an end.

Whether you need a smartphone, smart TV, smart home assistant, or smart charger that turns your smartphone into a smart home assistant that can control your suddenly smart TV, Google's Black Friday specials might have what you're looking for. Google's entire Home line of smart home assistants is getting some serious discounts. The new $150 Google Home Hub is now $99, the original and customizable $130 Google Home is now $79, and the tiny $49 Google Home Mini is just $25. Even the bass-blasting $400 Google Home Max is $50 cheaper, making the $350 purchase a bit easier to stomach. Adding a Chromecast device to your existing home theater setup makes streaming from mobile apps and even your PC incredibly simple, and extends the world of Google Assistant past the realm of audio-only interaction.

After you finish stuffing yourself full of (hopefully) perfectly cooked turkey this Thanksgiving, you may want to snag something nice for yourself (or save some money on a gift for a family member) during Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when deals and discounts take center stage at every retailer. Not every price drop is created equal, however. Where some retailers may offer incentives like gift cards or reduced activation costs for items like smartphones, others might just slash a few hundred bucks off the sticker price. Here are just a few of the best deals you can expect to find on your most desired electronics on Black Friday. Of course, be sure to go for what you want before it's out of stock, and remember you can probably get the same deal on some of the most popular gadgets at a competing retailer if one store's stock runs dry.

REM-Fit has unveiled a $299 smart pillow that can track your sleep habits, stop you from snoring, and even stream music to lull you into sleep. The ZEEQ pillow, which was on display at CE Week in Manhattan, can connect to your smartphone, apps, and smart home assistants such as Amazon's Alexa. It's equipped with wireless speakers, a microphone, vibration motors, and a gyroscope to track your activity – and despite the technology-packed design, it's also incredibly comfortable. REM-Fit has unveiled a $299 smart pillow that can track your sleep habits, stop you from snoring, and even stream music to lull you into a slumber. The pillow also contains a built-in alarm that uses gentle vibrations to wake you up – and this way, it won't disturb your partner While sleep-tracking apps and devices have become increasingly common in recent years, some people still prefer to keep their smartphones far from the bedside to ensure a restful sleep, the ZEEQ team explained to DailyMail.com.

For new owners of Google's $130 smart speaker, it could be quite a surprise. The AI assistant has a strange flaw - and it could drive owners mad. Every time a Verizon ad for Google's Pixel phone is played, it wakes up the speaker - and asks it to recite a list of restaurants. The device is programmed to respond to'Hey Google' The Verizon ad shows people on a train using the phone's smart assistant, the same one found in the Home speaker, to ask for Korean restaurants in Boulder. As the advert plays, the speaker begins reciting a list of restaurants. Google's $130 Home speaker is its entry in the monumental battle between tech giants.

It is turning into a monumental battle between tech giants. The race to create a smart home assistant has already seen a plethora of virtual assistants, from Apple's Siri to Amazon's Alexa and Facebook's chatbots. Now, Google has joined the fray with Home, a $130 smart speaker that can do everything from play music to control your lights - and has the vast knowledge of Google's search engine as its'brain'. We pitted it against Amazon's Echo Dot and Apple's Siri in a series of tests to reveal the personality (or lack of) in each of them. We pitted Google, Home,Amazon's Echo Dot and Apple's Siri against each other in a series of tests, from singing to telling jokes. Google's Home is the firm's latest AI move, after introducing its smart assistant in the new Pixel handsets last month.